If that is true, and it may well be, any speculation on why the President didn’t just say so, instead of manufacturing a false reason?
Again, IF what you say is accurate.
My guess is that this is for the economy outside of China when the world economically turns on them after they stomp HK to the ground.
If and when, companies will flee China like nothing anyone has seen. Easing in these imports through the rest of the year looks more like a wise defensive move.
Saying the real reasons outright now could cause market panic. I don’t think the average person is thinking about how serious this thing really is.
Saving face for the Chinese...he wants an agreement with them, he doesn’t want to humiliate them or us!
Not sure that you go into truthful detail when trying to let a little air out of a potentially big world-affecting issue.